


Soft Scene

by unknown_knowns



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bets & Wagers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, and victoria is handsy, chasefield is not the main pairing in this, fling to lovers, implied collaring, insecure!chloe, it's p. fun, she's basically another victoria, various kinky things are mentioned, vortex club!max, why is that not a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-12 11:36:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11736267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknown_knowns/pseuds/unknown_knowns
Summary: All Maxine has to do not is not over-complicate things.She just has to score a home run with Chloe, and then she wins her bet with Victoria.All she has to do is not over-complicate it.This is just sex.Fuck.





	1. Chapter 1

Maxine frowned, slightly.

Victoria waved a hand in front of her face.

“ _Um_?”

Maxine scoffed, and looked sidelong to Victoria.

“Move it or lose it, bitch.”

Victoria scoffed herself, and pulled her hand away.

“Mood much. What are you even looking at?”

Maxine took her eyes back away from Victoria and back towards what she was looking at, before.

The resident skaters decided to have some fun outside.

This wasn’t unusual.

But.

There was usually only three of them.

Justin, Trevor, Rachel.

Now, however, there was a fourth.

And Maxine couldn’t remember her name.

Was she new?

A transfer student?

“That girl. The new skater.”

Victoria scoffed again.

“Who cares, she ---“

Victoria followed Maxine’s eyes, and stopped dead when she saw the new girl.

Maxine just grinned, enjoying the momentarily broken Victoria.

“--- Don’t forget to breathe, bitch.”

Victoria exhaled harshly and looked back to Maxine with a frown.

But then she just smiled.

“Ok. I see why you’re staring.”

Nathan grunted.

Maxine and Victoria weren’t alone, here.

They were sitting in a circle with some Vortex Club members.

The only _important_ ones were Maxine, Victoria, and Nathan.

Hay-something was here too.

Maxine couldn’t always remember his name.

But he always had weed.

So he was fine.

Taylor and Courtney were here too, but they wouldn’t dare speak up while Victoria and Maxine were talking.

So they were fine, too.

That was a special privilege only afforded to Nathan.

Nathan raised a soda can to his lips and took a short sip.

“When I stare at girls it’s ‘creepy’, but when fuckin’ dykes do it it’s ‘cute’. Whateverthefuck.”

Victoria and Maxine exhaled, amused, in unison, and shook their heads together.

They pleasantly ignored his useless contribution to the conversation and went back to staring.

“You know what,”

Victoria started.

Maxine hummed thoughtfully.

“I think it’s that Chloe girl.”

Maxine blinked.

“Chloe?”

She frowned, and went quiet, with her arms crossed.

Victoria nodded slowly, carefully.

“Yeah. Her hair’s all short and … blue … now, but. I’d recognize that bitch-ass face anywhere.”

Maxine frowned more intently.

She was quiet for a few seconds.

“What’s her last name.”

Victoria just shrugged.

“Fuck if I know.”

“Price.”

Either Taylor or Courtney – Maxine didn’t really care – spoke up.

Victoria looked back to them and glared intently for speaking out of turn.

But then she just hummed flatly, and looked back forward with Maxine.

“That does sound right, though. Chloe Price.”

Maxine’s frown deepened still.

Victoria looked sidelong to her, and grinned deviously.

“You’re not falling for this bitch having only gawked at her for a few seconds, are you?”

Maxine shook her head, slowly.

“No. She’s cute, but.”

She looked back to Victoria,

“I think I used to know her.”

Victoria blinked.

Taylor and Courtney whispered something to one another.

Nathan took another sip of his drink.

And burped.

After momentarily glaring at Nathan because _ew_ , Maxine looked back to Victoria.

“When we were kids. Before I moved to Seattle.”

Victoria just scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t even fucking exist before I met you in Seattle.”

Maxine nodded slowly, and just as slowly looked back forward.

“Might as well not have.”

But, still.

She frowned.

Out of concentration, mostly, but.

Her memories were in conflict with this punky skater she was seeing.

And it was a weird sort of feeling.

How different was Chloe now?

Perhaps Maxine, of all people, couldn’t talk about changing.

She was a pathetic fucking whelp when she knew Chloe.

They didn’t even have anything ---

Victoria sneaked a bit closer.

She was adjacent to Maxine, now, and grinned oh-so-wide.

She moved in close to Maxine’s ear, and whispered dangerously, while one of her hands played with the skin along Maxine’s neck.

“How about we fucking ruin your childhood memories, then? Bet you that you can’t fuck her within a week.”

Maxine wasn’t bothered even in the slightest by the overtly flirtatious touching and whispering, though the words gave her pause.

She looked sidelong to Victoria, or as much as she could, given Victoria’s position at her ear.

“Yawn. What do I get if I win?”

Victoria just hummed playfully.

“Standard. You collar me for a week.”

Maxine smiled at this.

“And if I lose?”

Victoria giggled.

“Standard. I collar you for a week.”

Taylor and Courtney whispered something again.

Victoria placed her chin on Maxine’s shoulder and just stared up at her, doe-like, while that hand lowered to rub at her belly.

Maxine breathed in deep and sighed wearily.

The affection was nice.

But.

Could she really do that to her childhood best friend?

In a week, no less?

Chloe probably wouldn’t even want to talk to her, anymore.

Not after all of those years Maxine ignored her.

Victoria hummed playfully again.

“ _Unless_ you think you’re losing your touch, _girl_.”

Maxine snapped her face sideways to Victoria.

Victoria smiled cutely.

“Fuck you. I can have _anyone_ I want.”

Victoria moved up, just enough for a quick kiss, and then pulled away from Maxine entirely.

She then crossed her arms.

“Prove it, then. Get this Chloe girl on your arm within a week. And no cheating – you can’t just keep offering bitches our drugs.”

Maxine scoffed inelegantly and looked back to the group of skaters.

“Fine. You’re on. One week.”

Maxine stood up, dusted the grass clippings off of her outfit, and crossed her arms in her trademark power pose.

Taylor quickly put her phone away – it’d probably been recording something, from the very obvious way it was pointed at Victoria and Maxine earlier.

Maxine then leaned back over until she was shy of Victoria,

“Get the fucking collar ready. You are _dead_ if I get her.”

Victoria smiled pleasantly again.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She practically purred it.

Nathan just scoffed and took another sip of his drunk.

“Fuckin’ … dykes.”

Maxine looked to him momentarily, before standing up straight and cracking her neck.

She started to walk towards the group of skaters.

 

Maxine didn’t actually have a super well-formed plan in her mind about how to pick up Chloe.

She walked a bit more slowly than she would have normally over to them to try give herself some time.

But, she had an image to preserve, and she was _not_ going to lose this goddamn bet.

She hadn’t lost any bets she made with Victoria once.

Maybe that’s why Victoria kept making them.

 

Maxine pulled up shy of the skaters.

They were in a loose collection, watching Justin skate down the sidewalk and attempting to do some trick or another that surely had a name if Maxine could give a shit.

Rachel noticed her first.

She looked back and smiled so warmly.

“Oh, hey girl.”

Maxine smiled as well.

“Hey-hey-hey.”

Rachel was something of an odd duck, socially.

She was like a chameleon, and could fit into any social group she wanted to, seemingly effortlessly.

She made friends easily, but Maxine suspected none of them were particularly good friends.

More importantly, Victoria was _unbelievably_ jealous of Rachel, so Maxine made it a point to be at least a casual friend of her.

Rachel turned around and kicked up her skateboard to hold the tip of it with her hand.

Chloe was next to her, but pointedly ignored Maxine for now, and just kept on watching Justin skate.

Not a very encouraging sign.

Maxine wasn’t troubled, though, and walked closer to give Rachel her habitual hug.

She also lingered on it a bit longer than usual, because she knew Victoria was watching.

And she _so_ wanted that doe-eyed “You don’t like Rachel as much as you like me, do you?”-look, later on, when her bitch-ass was collared and naked.

And the assuring, erotic kisses that -

 _Focus_.

Maxine breathed in deep and pulled away from Rachel.

Chloe was looking side long at her, but still clearly trying to ignore her, as her eyes immediately looked away as soon as they met Maxine’s.

Maxine just continued to smile, though, and re-crossed her arms.

She looked to the back of Chloe’s head.

Rachel followed her eyes, then elbowed Chloe.

Chloe grunted.

“What.”

Rachel frowned.

“Don’t be rude.”

Chloe scoffed and shook her head.

But then she just sighed, and slowly turned around.

Chloe had a beer bottle in one hand, a cigarette in another, an arm full of tattoos, dyed hair, and torn clothes.

If only Maxine’s parents could see her now.

“She doesn’t want to talk to me anyway.”

Chloe took another hit of her cigarette and exhaled it pointedly in Maxine’s face.

Also not a particularly good sign.

But Maxine wasn’t to be disturbed by this, and kept her smile.

“Nonsense ---“

Both Rachel and Maxine spoke in unison.

They locked eyes for a few seconds, giggled, and Rachel shook her head.

Chloe just rolled her eyes and took a sip of her beer.

She then lowered it down by her side, gripping at the neck loosely with some fingers, and rubbed at her lips with her other arm.

Maxine looked back to Chloe.

“But, no, Chloe, I’ve ---“

Chloe grunted and frowned.

It was hard to even get a word in edge wise.

“--- I’m surprised you even remember my name.”

Maxine blinked.

Chloe sure was moody.

Was that Maxine’s fault?

Rachel frowned.

Maxine hesitated for a little bit, sighed, and crossed her arms.

She wasn’t heartless.

It’s not like she felt _amazing_ about ignoring Chloe for years.

Just …

“Things happen. I tired to call you, but I think one of us changed numbers or something.”

Chloe sighed wearily.

She looked down to the floor, and her voice came out miserable, and drained.

“I wrote a letter to you, every day, for a year, after you left. I ---“

Chloe looked up, and frowned.

“--- I find it hard to believe you even thought about me. Look at you. You’re only talking to me now because the Vortex Club wants something to do with me, I bet.”

Fucking _ow_.

Maxine gaped her mouth unconsciously, and just blinked a few times.

It has hard to make her speechless, these days, but.

Fucking _ow._

Chloe cared that much about her?

She wrote a letter _every single day_?

Rachel sighed softly and inched a bit closer to Chloe.

She placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed meaningfully.

Chloe looked to her for a few seconds, and her expression was softer for that period of time.

When she looked back to Maxine, it was harsh and somber, again.

“The Max I know died in Seattle, didn’t she?”

Maybe she did.

Maxine finally groaned, and raised a hand to rub at her temples.

She was not … expecting all of this.

She looked down to the floor herself for a few seconds, noticing Chloe’s distressed boots, before looking back up to her.

“Chloe, please, I just …”

Chloe took another hit of her cigarette, but remained quiet.

“… Is it so hard to believe I just want to see how my best friend is doing after all of this time?”

Chloe grunted.

But at least this time, when she exhaled, she turned her head away from the two of them.

Progress.

Rachel continued to rub at Chloe’s arm, and Maxine wondered what kind of relationship they had for that intimacy to be so natural.

Chloe then sighed wearily.

“What do you want, Max.”

Maxine took a step closer.

Chloe blinked.

“Some time to catch up? In your room? Just the two of us? Won’t need more than an hour or so.”

Rachel smiled at this, looking briefly to Maxine, before whispering gently into Chloe’s ear.

Chloe grunted again, but then groaned herself and raised her head to the sky.

She tightly welded her eyes closed.

Rachel quietly stole Chloe’s beer while she was being useless and took a sip from it.

After a few moments, Chloe lowered her head, dropped her cigarette, smushed it into the ground, and crossed her arms.

“Alright. Tomorrow, after school.”

Rachel giggled contently.

Maxine smiled.

“Thanks, Chloe. It means a lot to me that you’re giving me a chance. I’ll be there for sure.”

Chloe just raised an eyebrow.

Maxine just smiled.

She then turned on her heel, and quietly walked away, giving a warm wave as she went.

When she was outside of earshot, though, she sighed and slumped.

Chloe sounded worse for wear, after all of this time.

Did she really mean that much to Chloe?

It was so long ago …

 

Maxine was uncharacteristically pensive as she sat down next to Victoria, again.

Victoria just purred.

“Soooo?”

Maxine frowned, for a few seconds, but then shook her head.

She smiled.

She was nothing if not good at putting on airs.

“Date tomorrow. All alone in her room.”

Victoria’s jaw dropped, but then she huffed and shoved at Maxine’s shoulder.

“Shut up. You did not.”

Maxine giggled.

“If only you could get a girl so quickly, Victoria.”

Victoria huffed and huffed and huffed and blushed and looked away and crossed her arms and –

Maxine scooted a bit closer, and kissed at Victoria’s cheeks.

She rubbed at her shoulder for a few seconds, before pulling away and resting both of her palms on the green of the grass.

“It’s okay. You’re a better kisser than Rachel, anyway, and I’m sure Chloe will just taste of cigarette smoke.”

Victoria was still blushing, but she sighed contently, scooted closer, and rested her head on Maxine’s shoulder.

Maxine still didn’t know what to think of Chloe writing her a letter _every single day_.

Maybe she’d ask to see them, or whatever.

Victoria’s hand came to her belly again, and rubbed at it gently with indiscriminate patters.

Maxine frowned.

No.

She wasn’t going to –

This was a fling.

She was going to use Chloe for the sex, and dump her.

She was just going to win this bet.

And nothing else.

Especially if Chloe was going to be such a moody asshole the entire time.

Let Rachel be her fucking therapist.

That’s what Rachel wanted to be to everyone, anyway.

Fucking weirdo.

“You’re tense.”

Victoria spoke so gently and kissed at Maxine’s neck.

Maxine realized she’d been gripping harshly at the ground, and just wearily sighed.

She slumped a little bit.

Victoria’s hand snuck underneath the fabric of her shirt to rub at her belly directly.

“I’m fine. Just … thinking. Chloe’s not been doing well.”

Victoria grunted flatly.

“I’m surprised she’s even outside. Last I heard she was moping in her room all day long.”

Maxine rolled her eyes.

“Rachel found a new fixer-upper. That’s probably why she’s outside.”

Victoria frowned herself, and exhaled harshly against Maxine’s neck.

“So long as she doesn’t try to ‘fix’ you.”

Maxine just shook her head, and looked back to the skaters.

She caught Chloe looking her direction for a few moments, but once again, Chloe looked away the second she made eye contact.

“Rachel knows better. She knows I’ll be comparing the sex unfavorably to you, constantly.”

Victoria sighed contently again, and nestled contently into Maxine’s side.

Maxine did know how to assuage Victoria’s ridiculous insecurity over Rachel, if nothing else.

When she wanted to, anyway.

“She does smell better than you, though. Couldn’t put on that lavender for me?”

Victoria huffed and inelegantly spanked at Maxine’s belly.

“Bitch.”

Maxine giggled.

“Guilty.”

 

Maxine decided to do what she did best, and snoop.

Or research, as she called it.

It was actually genuinely difficult to find Rachel all alone, but Maxine knew one of the times to find her was in between periods, when she was at her locker.

Rachel closed her locker.

Maxine was right there.

They both shared a smile for a few seconds.

“So sudden. So spooky.”

Maxine just giggled.

“You know me - but I wanna talk Chloe.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow, and finished cramming some books into her bag, before hoisting it onto her back.

She looked up to Maxine.

“You do? What’s there to say?”

Maxine sighed, and leaned against the lockers.

“Seems like she’s had it rough.”

Rachel blinked, but then the smile on her face died, and she sighed.

She leaned against the lockers, too.

“Yeah. Poor girl. I really just wish things would go her way for once.”

Maxine frowned.

“Does she ever bring me up?”

Rachel scoffed, amused.

“Oh, so _that’s_ what this is about.”

Maxine huffed and shook her head, but Rachel just giggled.

“Yeah. She does. Sometimes.”

Maxine kept her frown.

“Does she really have all of those letters?”

Rachel rolled her eyes.

“What, how would I know? Am I supposed to be a snoop or something?”

But she was grinning like the big idiot she was.

Maxine just sighed wearily and patted herself down, before pulling out a joint.

Rachel took it eagerly and shoved it into her jeans pocket.

“Hm, my memory is suddenly jogged. Yes, I recall quite clearly. She’s got a bunch of ‘em in her desk. Right by the picture she has of you two.”

Maxine blinked again.

“She kept a picture of us?”

Rachel opened her mouth for a few seconds, and shrugged.

“She still has it, yeah. Used to be _on_ her desk, but I had her hide it _inside_ of it, ‘cuz it was making her all hella depressed when she’d look at it.”

Fucking _ow._

Before Maxine had the time to process it much, though, Rachel just sighed, and adjusted her backpack.

“Listen, I’m not an idiot – I know Victoria set you up for this – just – don’t hurt her, please?”

Maxine blinked.

That might have been the most earnest and troubled she’d ever heard Rachel.

But Maxine pushed herself off from the walls of lockers and crossed her arms.

She frowned.

“Why not? She’s only been a bitch to me. It’s not like she tried to reach me either – she certainly didn’t try to send any of those letters. She's just trying to guilt me or something.”

Rachel sighed, and brushed herself harshly past Maxine.

“Because I know you’ve still got a fucking heart. And that’s the only reason I still talk to you. Try to remember that sometimes.”

Maxine tilted her head to the side, groaned, and rubbed at her jawline.

Fucking Rachel, sometimes.

Still.

It wasn’t like she was wrong.

Maxine walked pensively to her next class, playing with her hair the entire way and just thinking.

Fuck.

This bet was going to be harder than she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe tags something.
> 
> Rachel has a plan.
> 
> Maxine snoops.
> 
> Mr. Madsen is _this_ close.

Chloe shook a spray paint can and finished her masterpiece in the girl’s bathroom.

_Did you really think you could fix this?_

She frowned, unhappy with how some of the letters came out.

Even just the wording – she could do better.

Chloe sighed and shook the can some more, ready to attack some other wall.

But then she heard the door to the girl’s bathroom open.

She frowned, tossed the spray paint can into one of the stalls, and dashed into one of the others.

Quiet.

Chloe leaned down to see if she shoes of the intruder were men’s or women’s.

Converse.

How unhelpful.

Chloe heard a sighing.

“Chloe, I know that’s you. I can still smell the paint.”

Rachel’s voice, and it was uncharacteristically drained – or worried.

It put a frown on Chloe’s face as she got up and left the stall.

Rachel immediately grasped at Chloe’s wrists, put them above her head, and pinned her against one of the walls of the stalls here.

Chloe groaned, though not that she was complaining, especially not when Rachel kissed her.

But the kiss was short-lived and functional.

More like a reassurance than anything.

Rachel soon pulled away and crossed her arms.

Lines of worry were heavy on her face.

“I haven’t seen you all day.”

Chloe just shrugged.

“Wanted some alone time.”

Chloe looked off to her latest graffiti.

Rachel’s eyes followed her, and she sighed when she saw the artwork.

“Not that I disapprove of tagging this shithole, but …”

She looked back to Chloe.

Chloe looked back to her.

“This is all about Max, isn’t it?”

Chloe frowned.

She wiped her lips clean of the taste of weed from Rachel’s lips and crossed her own arms.

“Maybe. Not every day shit happens like yesterday.”

Rachel breathed in deep, and then exhaled slowly.

“Chloe. I know you love her, and all but --- please. Don’t trust her.”

Chloe just nodded.

She uncrossed her arms and shoved her hands into her pockets.

“I don’t.”

She looked away, to nowhere in particular.

“Max isn’t … she’s …”

Chloe groaned in exasperation, and looked up to the ceiling.

“She’s a vortex club asshole now. I know. Maybe I don’t deserve a lot of things, but I know deserve better than that.”

Rachel closed her eyes and sighed pleasantly at this, at least.

“Okay, perfect. I’m glad I don’t have to …”

Rachel opened her eyes.

Chloe looked down.

They shared a frown.

Chloe crossed her arms.

Rachel just shook her head.

“Anyway. Just be friendly with her. She’s dangerous, but … I know how much it hurts you to not be talking to her.”

Chloe grumbled miserably and looked away again.

“It’s not _fucking_ fair.”

Rachel giggled at this, somehow.

Chloe blinked, and looked back to her.

Rachel stepped up right in front of her, fished one of Chloe’s hands, and put a small camera in her hand.

“You can level the playing field.”

Chloe blinked a few more times, and looked down to the camera.

“What …?”

Rachel rolled her eyes.

“Stick it somewhere discrete in your room. One of your shitzillion clothes piles or something.”

Rachel kept her mouth open, hesitating on continuing for a few seconds.

She closed Chloe’s hand around the camera.

“Let Max into your room like she wants. I don’t know exactly all Victoria wants her to do but – some part of the Max you knew is still in there. Somewhere. She acts weird around you. Get her to say something embarrassing to who she is now and hold it over her head.”

Chloe kept on blinking.

“You want me to blackmail Max …”

Rachel shook her head.

“I want you to get evidence to keep your ass safe from whatever fucking game they’re playing. You don’t have to do anything with it – just if Max hurts you somehow, you’ll have recourse.”

Rachel closed her eyes and exhaled pleasantly.

“It’ll be nice to have things go your way for once, yeah?”

Chloe just frowned, still looking at the closed hand that held the tiny camera.

“I don’t know, Rachel …”

Chloe looked up and they shared a frown.

“Max is – she’s … “

Rachel didn’t give her the time to finish her push-back.

She just closed the distance between them again, and kissed at Chloe again.

Chloe just melted against the stalls.

Despite the pleasant sensation of Rachel’s lips and her warm, sticky breathing, Chloe was only thinking about how fucking unfair the world was again.

She couldn’t even fucking reconnect with an old friend without the world trying to get another knife in her fucking back.

Whatever.

Chloe would think about if she could plant the camera and record Max, like that.

Maybe Rachel was right.

Maybe it didn’t make Chloe any better of a person if she played the same fucking games the Vortex Club assholes did.

Why couldn’t things just be simple for once?

 

\---

 

Maxine was pensive as she looked through the window of Victoria’s car from the passenger side seat.

She’d been quiet most of the ride to the Price house.

When they pulled up in the drive way, Victoria finally sighed and looked over to Maxine.

She placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

“You’re quiet today.”

Maxine gaped her mouth and thought about being honest.

But then she just smiled, and looked back to Victoria.

“I’ve been thinking if Chloe is the kind of girl to be loud or quiet when getting a mind-shattering orgasm.”

Victoria sputtered a laugh and looked forward.

She shook her head.

“Not that I’m the betting type or anything, but I’m betting loud. She’s probably into some real fucked-up shit, too.”

This made Maxine giggle, and she leaned over from the passenger seat to rest her head on Victoria’s shoulder.

She carefully intertwined one of their hands and squeezed.

“Can’t be half as bad as what we do.”

Victoria blushed and sputtered, and looked off and away.

Maxine sighed contently and pushed herself off of Victoria to sit up straight.

She opened the passenger side door.

“Anyway. Thanks for the ride, babe. I’ll text you when I’m done.”

Maxine got out of the car, and almost closed the door.

“Maxine?”

Maxine leaned back in.

“What?”

Victoria’s mouth gaped, herself.

She hesitated on something, then looked away, back to the driveway.

“Nothing. Never mind. Go get her, tiger.”

Maxine giggled and stood up straight.

She closed the door, and cracked her neck.

She could do that.

Maybe.

So long as she didn’t fucking over-complicate this.

She just needed to score a home run.

She didn’t need to –

This was just sex.

Nothing else.

Fuck.

Maxine quietly made her way to the front door of the Price household.

Victoria drove away.

Maxine looked forward again, back to the front door.

She hesitated on knocking.

She felt so many memories, simultaneously.

Maxine didn’t actually have a bad childhood, but she hated remembering it.

She was such a pathetic girl, back then.

So shy.

So fragile.

So insecure.

So stupid.

She hated acknowledging she even grew up out of that person.

Maxine tilted her head off to the side and rubbed vigorously at her jaw line, again.

Memories of Chloe were inexorably tied up with memories of being that pathetic girl.

Perhaps it was fitting, then, that she ruin them by using Chloe for sex.

A nice, unsubtle way to cap off the part of her life she never wanted to think about.

She sighed, shook her head.

 

Instead of knocking, Maxine pulled out her phone and texted Chloe.

She put her phone away and crossed her arms in her trade mark power pose.

When she smiled, she didn’t know just how fake it was, anymore.

But she was good at smiling regardless of what she felt, now.

Better than having her fucking mouth gaping like a fish.

Just one of the many tics Victoria trained out of her.

Not too much later, Chloe opened the door.

 

Chloe blinked.

Maxine blinked.

 

Maxine was always envious of Chloe’s ability to do eyeliner so flawlessly.

Despite her above-it-all punkness now, it was clear Chloe still cared tremendously about how she appeared.

Maxine respected that part of her, if nothing else.

“I never thought I’d see you wearing a skirt, Caulfield.”

Maxine giggled, and quietly pushed her way past Chloe.

“Never thought I’d see you with blue hair, Price.”

Chloe allowed Maxine past, closed the door behind her, and crossed her arms.

She just sighed.

“Touché, I guess.”

Quiet.

It was a little awkward.

Silence with Chloe never used to be awkward.

Chloe walked past Maxine, and started going up the stairs.

They didn’t need to exchange any words until they were both in Chloe’s room.

Chloe waved her arms back and forward, clapping her hands together softly and knocking them away, as she made her way to the bed in her room.

Maxine hardly made it a step or two in before she just had to stop and gasp.

It was …

So different.

She had all of these damn memories again, and they couldn’t have _all_ been bad.

Chloe’s room looked like a bomb went off in it.

She had clothes and magazines and all manner of random junk all over her floor.

There were posters all along her walls.

Maxine noticed an unreasonably large percentage of the posters involved half-naked women.

It made her smile gently, if nothing else.

The room also smelled quite strongly of weed, but that didn’t even begin to surprise Maxine.

Finally, after what felt like entirely too long, Chloe collapsed on her ass on the edge of her bed, and inelegantly clapped her hands together.

Chloe opened her mouth to say something –

Maxine beat her to the punch –

“How do you dress so well with no organization to your clothes? I’d take me like an hour to get ready if I had to dig through all of this …”

Chloe blinked a few dozen times at the question.

She then just closed her eyes and exhaled, shaking her head.

“I know how to find stuff, girl.”

Maxine exhaled in an amused scoff, herself.

She took a few steps more into the room and played with her hair.

Maxine’s eyes caught sight of the desk.

_She still has the picture, yeah. I had her hide it in her desk._

She frowned, slightly.

Chloe’s eyes followed her.

Their eyes went back to one another.

Maxine smiled again, but it might have been too late.

Did Chloe know that Maxine knew where the letters and picture were?

Maxine quietly made her way over to the desk, but simply leaned against it with her arms crossed.

Chloe’s eyes followed her every step of the way.

The quiet was a little awkward, but Maxine had thought of a way to remove some of the tension between them.

“How about some music and weed? I’ll have Hayden restock whatever I use.”

Chloe blinked again.

“That’s …”

Chloe sighed wearily, and stood up.

“That doesn’t sound half-bad, actually. I assume you know how to work a pot pipe by now … there’s one on the other side of my computer.”

Chloe kept her eyes on Maxine for a few moments longer, but then walked over to her entertainment system, and started playing with CD jewel cases, probably trying to find a certain one.

Maxine moved immediately, but quietly, as soon as she was certain Chloe wasn’t looking her way.

She pushed off from leaning on the desk and turned around.

She effortlessly opened the drawer to Chloe’s desk.

Just like Rachel said –

Maxine closed the drawer with a blush, and looked down.

Fuck.

Chloe wasn’t lying or trying to -

Fuck.

Still.

Maxine had something to do.

Maxine wordlessly made her way to the other side of the desk and numbly searched the mess for a pot pipe and some weed.

She was so used to packing and setting one up her mind could be going a million miles an hour – like it was now – and she’d still be able to set one up perfectly.

Fuck.

Maxine walked over to Chloe’s bed and sat down on the edge.

She tried to cool the blush off of her face before Chloe looked back this way, but –

Fuck.

Chloe really kept a picture of them as kids all of this goddamn time.

She really wrote every one of those fucking letters.

Fuck.

Eventually,

“Fuck yes.”

Chloe found what she was looking for, and put it on her entertainment system.

Maxine closed her eyes and fell back onto Chloe’s bed.

She didn’t have a lighter but –

She only had to reach around for a little bit before she found one.

Of course Chloe had one ready to go.

Maxine started her bowl and breathed in deeply.

Chloe flopped down on the bed next to her.

Maxine wordlessly shared the pipe and started to listen to the music.

Maybe it’d help her to calm down from being so fucking flustered.

Useless.

Heavy distorted guitars kicked on, but the music wasn’t as aggressive as Maxine was expecting.

It was slower, and had a heavy groove.

_I’ve got the demons in me_

The singer wasn’t shouting – not in the way Maxine expected, anyway.

_I’ve got to flush them all away_

Chloe gently tapped on Maxine’s shoulder, and she took the pipe again for her turn.

_I feel the demons rage_

She breathed out harshly.

_I must clean them all away_

Maxine suddenly opened her eyes, looked to Chloe, and gave her the pipe back.

_Yeah yeah yeah_

Chloe took another hit and looked up to the ceiling –

_Yeah yeah yeah_

Maxine inched closer to Chloe –

_Yeah yeah yeah_

Maxine tapped on Chloe’s shoulder –

_Yeah yeah yeah_

Chloe blinked, looked to Maxine –

_Yeah yeah yeah_

Maxine kissed her.

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah_

It was a slow, gentle kiss, and all Maxine could really taste was weed, because duh –

Chloe breathed in deeply, when she realized what was happening –

She pulled away –

Maxine reciprocated, and sat up.

Quiet.

Chloe was blushing.

Maxine was blushing.

_I’m the only way._

Chloe put the pipe down, and almost absent-mindedly raised a hand up to touch her lips, like she was disbelieving.

_I’m the only way._

Chloe’s eyes were wavering.

_I’m the only way._

“Max …”

Maxine scooted a bit closer, again.

“Chloe.”

_I’m the only way._

Chloe looked away, still blushing madly.

“You’re so … fuck. Hardcore now. What …”

_I’m the only way._

Chloe could barely string a sentence together.

She looked as flustered as Maxine felt.

The vocals to the song stopped, dissolving into a cacophony of guitars soloing seemingly at random, though still managing to harmonize with one other oddly.

Chloe looked back to Maxine and frowned, slightly.

“Look, Max, I ---“

But both of their thoughts were interrupted by a loud slamming of the front door.

Chloe blinked.

“Fuck, shit, balls – that’s ---“

Chloe immediately got up and picked up the pipe with her.

“What did I tell you about blasting loud punk music?”

Chloe practically hissed,

“Dude it’s not even close to fucking punk music are you _deaf_ \---“

Despite Chloe freaking out, her attitude made Maxine smile.

But then a thought collided with her.

Maybe she should have been more worried, for whatever reason that Chloe was.

“Who’s that?”

Chloe paused.

She looked down to the pot pipe in her hand, then all around her room.

“Step-douche. Uh. My step dad. He’s basically a fucking nazi and is going to freak if he sees ---”

Maxine stood up, immediately closed the distance between the two of them, and took the pot pipe out of Chloe’s hands.

She knew how to handle asshole parents by now.

“Then he won’t see you have it.”

Chloe’s expression became so troubled, and conflicted.

“What ---“

Maxine just grunted and shoved Chloe forward.

“ _Move_ , bitch.”

Chloe still paused, looking pained at Maxine.

Maxine kept her face resolute.

Maxine could hear the loud, thundering steps of someone trying way too hard to sound intimidating.

“Fucking _go_ already!”

Chloe bit her lip, but then nodded, turned around, and quickly left the room.

Maxine turned off the entertainment system, and looked around the room herself.

“Don’t you curse at me, young lady.”

“I’ll do whatever the fuck I want to, thanks.”

“ _Chloe_ , I swear to god ---”

Maxine considered hiding the pot pipe.

Maybe hiding herself.

“Wait … is that weed? Why do you smell like the devil’s grass? What on ---“

But …

_Yeah. Poor girl. I wish things would go her way for once._

Fucking.

Ugh.

Chloe could use someone taking the blame for her for once.

Why the fuck did Maxine care?

This was just supposed to be -

Maxine breathed in deep, and opened the door.

Chloe and Security officer Madsen were at the apex of the steps.

Mr. Madsen noticed her first.

His expression went from bad to worse, especially when he noticed the pot pipe in Maxine’s hand.

“What –“

But Maxine wasn’t giving him a chance.

She stormed right behind Chloe.

“It’s not fucking enough that you treat the school like a playground for your fucked-up camera fetish, but now you have to take it out on Chloe?”

Mr. Madsen visibly flinched and blinked a few times.

He probably wasn’t expecting such a tiny package to bite so hard verbally.

An advantage Maxine always had.

“I –“

Maxine still didn’t let him get a word in edge wise.

“And you know what? This fucking weed? It’s mine. It’s always been mine. You know why people smoke weed in the first place? To deal with assholes like you. She wouldn’t need it if you didn’t ride her ass for no fucking reason. Does it make you feel better? Like a real man? Like --”

Mr. Madsen shoved his way past Chloe and raised a hand up –

“--- You little!”

Maxine stood firm, despite her heart racing a million miles an hour.

Mr. Madsen breathed in severely, looking down to his hand, perhaps realizing what he was just about to do.

Instead, his hand shot to Maxine’s and he swiped the pot pipe away.

Some of the bowl fell to the floor.

What a waste.

“Listen. You …”

His voice was so strained, like he was holding back every single world.

“You come in _my_ house, influence _my_ daughter, _make_ her smoke _this_ … I don’t want to see _you_ in _my_ home ever again. **_Leave_** _._ ”

Maxine smiled pleasantly.

Perhaps that, more than anything else, would get under Mr. Madsen’s skin.

He gripped the pot pipe so hard Maxine thought he was going to shatter it, and then numbly turned around.

He plodded down the stairs.

Maxine caught her breath.

Chloe raised both of her middle fingers to him, when he couldn’t see it anymore, then sighed herself.

She turned around, and immediately hugged Maxine.

Maxine returned the hug.

When they separated, Chloe just placed her hands on Maxine’s shoulders.

“Dude I don’t … you’re … I can’t …”

Maxine stepped up on her tippy toes and kissed Chloe on the lips, again.

Chloe blushed, but didn’t pull away, this time.

It was still short-lived, but.

It helped to ease some of Maxine’s jittery nerves right now.

“I… think it’s best if I go, now. But.”

She breathed in deeply, and smiled pleasantly, somehow.

“Do you want to chill in my room tomorrow? Do the actual catching up that I promised we’d do?”

Chloe looked down to the floor and laughed awkwardly.

“Yeah. I think … I think I’d like that, actually. Thanks, Max … for like … _fuck_.”

They hugged again, and held it for a while longer yet.

They didn't need any more words.

 

Maxine eventually made her way outside of the house, numbly.

She texted Victoria to come pick her up, and just walked along the sidewalk.

Thinking.

Fuck.

What was she doing?

She should have just stayed put, let Madsen tear her a new one, and then console her after the fact.

She'd be vulnerable then.

Maxine could have easily scored a home run with a vulnerable Chloe.

Just.

Fuck.

This was just supposed to be sex.

She was just supposed to ---

Fuck.

Maxine was _still_ fucking blushing just thinking about all of those letters.

Fuck.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So which path will you take?
> 
> 'cause we both know a break
> 
> does exactly what it says
> 
> on the tin

Maxine was actually fucking nervous holy shit what the _fuck._

This was _officially_ bad, now.

She just –

She didn’t want Chloe to figure out Maxine’s motivations, here.

Chloe deserved a lot of things for being the asshole she was, but she didn’t deserve her childhood best friend pretending to care only to have sex with her.

It’d be easier on everyone if she just got this shit over with, win the fucking bet, and then keep Chloe at a pleasant arm-length distance.

Maybe talk to her every once in a while.

Maybe invite her to some Vortex Club parties.

Maybe ask her about those ---

_Ugh._

Maxine shook her head and placed a hand up to rub at her temples.

Useless.

Maxine stopped pacing in her room and just sat down at her desk.

She collapsed her head down to its surface and groaned loudly.

She was just going to finish thinking about how to get Chloe to have sex with her, and then move the fuck on.

Before this bet tore her apart.

 

\---

 

Chloe was standing outside, with the rest of the skaters.

She drank some of her beer.

Thankfully, step douche was also responsible for monitoring for things like people drinking and smoking on campus.

So, naturally, he was doing a terrible fucking job at it.

Trevor failed a trick and fell over onto his knees.

He groaned and moved both of his hands to cover one of his knees.

Chloe and Justin laughed.

But at least Justin cared enough to go get Trevor’s skateboard before it got too far away from him, and bring it back.

Rachel materialized herself, as she was wont to do, by hugging in a way-too-tight bearhug from behind.

Chloe sighed contently and closed her eyes.

She leaned her head back until it made contact with Rachel’s and breathed in deeply.

After a few moments, Rachel broke away from the affection and moved around to Chloe’s front.

Chloe took another sip of her beer and lowered her head back down to look at Rachel.

“Soooo? How’d it go with Max?”

Chloe’s first response, blushing and looking away, made Rachel blink a few dozen times.

But then Chloe huffed and looked back forward.

She crossed her arms and tightly gripped at her beer bottle.

“It went fine. We just did some smoking and listened to music.”

Rachel crossed her own arms, and her face was wildly disbelieving.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Only?”

Chloe shrugged.

“Not _only_ -only. She snooped in my desk _too_. You wouldn’t have anything to do that, would you?”

Chloe wasn’t going to forget Max’s reaction to seeing the letters any time soon, even if she was pretty sure Max didn’t notice she was looking at her.

Max was a habitual snoop, so Chloe had to learn to always pay attention to her to have any semblance of private space.

Not that it was hard to figure out she was probably after those letters in the first place.

Rachel just smiled pleasantly and casually shook her head.

“No, of course not.”

Chloe had learned not to tell Rachel anything she really wanted to be kept a secret.

It always had a weird habit of getting out, _somehow_.

Chloe frowned.

“Uh-huh.”

Rachel giggled and scooted a bit closer to place a pleasant but quick kiss on Chloe’s cheek.

Chloe grunted, but wasn’t complaining.

When she was done, Rachel took a step or two back and put her hands in her pockets.

“She didn’t make a move on you?”

Chloe breathed in deeply and took another sip of her beer.

She emptied it, and so allowed it to just fall somewhere on the grass, uselessly.

She kicked it off to one of the trees nearby, then looked back to Rachel.

Chloe considered being honest, but wasn’t sure how much she appreciated Rachel’s interfering with her relationships.

Especially asking her to blackmail Max.

Chloe was a lot of things, and most of them weren’t even good things, but she wouldn’t do that to Max.

“No. She just saw the letters and went quiet for the rest of the time while we listened to music and got high.”

Rachel frowned, clearly disbelieving.

Chloe frowned, too.

“Well. I guess that’s not all. David came home and Max took the fall for the weed for me.”

Rachel blinked only about a million times.

“She _what?_ ”

Chloe nodded, and smiled gently.

She shoved her hands in her pockets, and looked off to the distance.

“David came home and started being his usual idiot asshole self. Max kicked my ass into stopping him before he could see how baked the room was – and then came out and tore him a new one for being the nazi that he is.”

Chloe sighed softly and closed her eyes.

“Max is such a badass now, I swear.”

When Chloe looked forward, the frown was off of Rachel’s face, replaced with a more neutral thoughtful look.

“Chloe – you know I – I can’t have Mr. Madsen upset at me.”

Chloe wasn’t actually accusing Rachel of never standing up for her, this time, but she did it so automatically sometimes that she wasn’t surprised Rachel was needlessly defending herself.

Chloe looked down and kicked at the grass, before looking back up.

“I know. Just. It was nice.”

Rachel exhaled sharply, closed her eyes for a few moments, then nodded.

“It sure sounds like it, I guess.”

Rachel then just shook her head.

“Well. _Maybe_ I was wrong about her, but I’d still keep an eye on her. The Vortex Club assholes can play long cons, sometimes. Ciao!”

Chloe frowned slightly, and watched Rachel walk away with her habitual pleasant waving.

Rachel always had a habit of disappearing as quickly as she came.

It was entirely possible, of course.

That Max was still an asshole.

Chloe saw the way Max and Victoria “talked” to one another.

She was still certain that _something_ about this wasn’t genuine, somehow.

But it was becoming harder to spot what, exactly.

Chloe still wasn’t going to ever forget that look Max had on her face after she kissed her.

So confident, such a badass, so bold and ambitious –

Yet after she kissed, she looked like the same nervous girl Chloe knew all of the way back before her dad died.

Her mouth even did that same gaping thing.

Not to mention all of that fucking blush.

Christ.

Chloe was blushing just thinking about it, herself.

Is this why Max had such a reputation for being a lady-killer?

Did she do this with all of the women in her life?

With Victoria?

Maybe her relationship with Victoria was just complicated due to how long they knew one another.

Rachel said Victoria and Max were best friends long before they even came to Blackwell.

They came here from Seattle together, even.

Maybe it was like Chloe’s relationship with Rachel.

Just … complicated.

Hard to fix exact labels onto it.

Maybe it wasn’t fair to think about, regardless.

Chloe just hoped that if Max tried anything else, she was as good at distracting away that fucking stupid part of herself that fucked everything up as she was earlier.

_How do you dress so well?_

Christ.

How starved of affection was she, Jesus Christ.

It was just a simple compliment.

It was just a little blushing.

It was just a little kiss.

 

When Trevor bailed again, Chloe didn’t even notice, or pay attention when Justin laughed derisively.

She was a million miles away.

 

\---

 

Classes were over with soon enough.

Maxine hardly had the time to sit down in her chair before there was a knocking at her dorm’s door.

She groaned and sighed, but got up all of the same.

“ _Who_ on earth is ---“

She opened the door.

Chloe and Rachel.

Maxine blinked.

Already?

She thought she was going to text Chloe when she was ready _fuck_ –

Rachel’s eyes flitted between the two of them, but then she just smiled pleasantly, as she always did, and turned on her heel and walked away.

Maxine watched her go, then looked to Chloe in a wordless question.

“Rachel said she knew where your dorm was.”

Maxine sighed.

She did, of course, since they were on the same floor, and all.

“Right. It’s um – kind of early – I didn’t even –“

Chloe inelegantly made her way past Maxine all the same.

“Don’t need to get ready or nothing for me, dude.”

Maxine just sighed, shook her head, and closed the door to her dorm.

She walked past Chloe and grabbed her bag off of the couch, placing it on her desk.

She hadn’t even removed her computer from her bag or anything yet.

But of course, Chloe wasn’t too interested in the couch when there was a much comfier bed.

She strolled over to it and plopped down on the corner of Maxine’s bed.

Maxine just exhaled, amused, and pulled out her desk’s chair to sit down it.

Chloe looked around, and hummed.

“Your room is so clean.”

Maxine giggled and nodded.

“Victoria would kill me if I lived like a pig.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, but then frowned and hesitated.

Maxine noticed, but kept smiling for the time being.

“Victoria, huh. She mean much to you?”

Maxine scoffed.

It was her turn to roll her eyes.

“Sure. Lots of people mean things to me.”

Chloe frowned more deeply.

“You kiss all of them?”

Maxine groaned and tilted her head off to the side to rub at her jawline.

She looked off to one of her walls.

“ _Chloe_.”

Chloe just grunted.

“Max.”

Maxine just sighed.

She still didn’t look at Chloe.

“My name is ‘Maxine’, not ‘Max’.”

Chloe huffed.

“Way to dodge the ---“

Maxine stood up, and closed the distance between them.

Chloe went deathly silent.

Maxine reached a hand out and ran some fingers along Chloe’s cheek and jawline.

Chloe closed her eyes, breathed in deep, and raised a hand up to grasp at Maxine’s arm.

She didn’t keep Maxine’s hand from its affections, though.

She just held it.

“—Yes. I kiss some of them. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen me kissing Victoria by now …”

Chloe’s frown deepened and she looked up to Maxine.

She opened her eyes.

“Then why me? Why do you suddenly give a shit _now_ , Max? If I’m not ---”

Maxine grunted.

Chloe went silent.

Maxine lowered the hand a bit more to run it along Chloe’s neck.

Still, she didn’t object to its presence, though hand still also hadn’t released Maxine’s arm.

“I … _ugh._ Chloe, I care for you, you know that? I don’t always show it but … I’ve never forgotten about you. I didn’t just stop thinking about you in our time apart.”

Maxine wasn’t even sure how much of a lie this was anymore.

Chloe sighed, and looked down.

“You have a funny way of showing it. Ignoring me for …”

Maxine raised the hand to Chloe’s chin, and gently pushed her into looking back at Maxine again.

She was still frowning though.

“What do you really want out of me, Max? Be honest with me.”

Maxine raised her second hand to Chloe’s face.

She held her cheeks.

“What I’ve always wanted out of you. Something more than a friend.”

Chloe closed her eyes and flinched.

She breathed out unevenly.

Maxine moved herself a bit closer, still.

“Is that what you want, too, Chloe? With all of the letters and …”

Chloe blinked open her eyes, and they were wavering.

Maybe verging on tears.

Ow.

“Max, I …”

She slowly brought her hands up to Maxine’s and took them off of her face to hold them in her own hands.

She looked down, and up, and down, and up, and down and –

Maxine leaned forward enough to kiss at her forehead.

It was a quick, fleeting thing, but meant to be reassuring.

Chloe exhaled unevenly again, and looked back up to Maxine.

“I loved you, you know that? When we were kids? Like every fucking day, I’d always want to – but I could never – and I just – it’s like – _ugh_.”

Maxine’s breathing hitched.

_Love._

Fucking –

This was too much –

She was going to _really_ hurt Chloe if she –

Chloe brought one of Maxine’s hand to rub it against her own cheek.

Maxine closed her own eyes and allowed her hand to be manipulated like this.

Not like it needed much convincing.

“Then you just left me when I needed you the most. And ignored me for years, and years, and years …”

Chloe didn’t sound angry, just tired.

Drained.

She released Maxine’s hands and fell onto her back, onto Maxine’s bed.

Maxine sighed and sat down next to her, after a short pause.

After another delay, Maxine laid down with her, and found the hand closest to her side to intertwine their fingers.

She brought the hand up so that only their elbows were resting on the bed, and gently rocked the hand back and forth.

Maxine slowly looked over to Chloe.

Chloe was counting the popcorn on Maxine’s ceiling.

“Chloe, I can’t … I can’t take back that stuff, you know. I made a mistake. I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you now?”

Chloe exhaled another harsh breath.

She slowly looked over to Maxine as well.

She bit at her own lip.

“Max, I don’t think I can handle anyone else leaving me. If you’re not …”

 _Ow_.

Fucking.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Maxine moved forward.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

She kissed Chloe right on the lips, and Chloe whimpered for a second or two.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Maxine brought her other hand up to Chloe’s cheek, and broke the first away to rub along Chloe’s side.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

 

“I’m not leaving you, Chloe. I promise.”

 

Fuck.

 

Maxine was the worst person in the world.

 

Chloe was revitalized with the assurance.

The last of her hesitations and trepidations melted away, and she leaned into the kiss honestly, earnestly, after a few seconds.

Maxine hardly even had to get that handsy –

Chloe wormed off her jacket and tossed it away without being prompted.

Chloe moved in closer herself and kissed, and kissed, and kissed.

Maxine’s hand moved under Chloe’s tank.

Chloe’s kissing became more forceful.

 

At least they weren’t both drunk, she supposed.

 

Sometime later, Maxine awoke to another knocking on her dorm’s door.

She groaned and thoughtlessly got up, rubbing at her jawline again.

She quickly realized she was naked, and was hardly even scandalized by now.

She just effortlessly started putting her clothes back on, and tossed most of Chloe’s clothes back to her.

Chloe groaned and grumbled.

“Five more minutes.”

Maxine just rolled her eyes, and finished putting on her top.

Now she was just readjusting it.

Maxine had locked her door, of course, so there was no danger of someone barging in, but still.

“Who is it?”

Maxine spoke to the door, giving Chloe her time to redress.

“Victoria, bitch, who do you think?”

Maxine frowned, which was kind of impressive, since there were basically no situations she didn’t want Victoria on her arm.

This was certainly one of them, though.

“Not now, Veebee ---“

Maxine intentionally used Victoria’s least favorite pet name to indicate her annoyance,

“--- I’m kind of … busy.”

Maxine wasn’t shy about telling Victoria she just had sex, but she didn’t want Chloe to think she was so cavalier.

Holy fuck why did she care at all.

“It’s _important._ ”

Maxine kept her frown, and severely doubted that, but.

She wasn’t about to shut Victoria out.

She looked to Chloe.

“I’m opening the door.”

Chloe groaned again, but began mindlessly dressing.

When she was adjusting her tank, Maxine opened the door, and Victoria barged in right past her.

Maxine saw their play collar in Victoria’s hand.

Her eyes widened –

She walked right up to Victoria –

“ _Vee_ \---“

Victoria raised a free hand up with just her index finger raised, hushing Maxine.

Maxine crossed her arms and huffed impatiently.

Chloe watched the scene between the two of them with a raised eyebrow.

“I knew it. Well done, girl. Only three days.”

Maxine stepped right next to Victoria.

She practically hissed,

“Don’t ---“

Chloe was up on her feet in no time, though, and right in front of Victoria.

Her eyes were on fire.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

“What did you just say?”

Fuck.

Victoria pulled out her phone and began to obviously record Chloe while she spoke.

“I made a bet with Maxine here that she couldn’t fuck you in a week. Well, clearly I was an idiot – who could resist my girl’s charms – a week was far too generous a timeline ---“

Maxine almost reached for the phone.

But Chloe beat her to the punch.

Only Chloe didn’t care to be gentle with it.

“Hey!”

Chloe forcefully tossed it against one of the walls.

It cracked, maybe more, hard to tell – it fell behind Maxine’s couch.

Chloe growled.

“That’s what I think about your fucking bet.”

Victoria sneered at Chloe, but Chloe had a good couple inches on her and a criminal record.

This wasn’t a fight Victoria was going to pick, physically anyway.

Chloe just looked to Maxine and her expression was just so –

Fuck.

It took Maxine’s breath away.

“We’re done. _Asshole._ I can’t fucking believe I trusted you and I --- _ugh_.”

Chloe started to walk out but Maxine got in her way.

“Chloe! Wait, it's not ---”

Chloe just inelegantly shoved Maxine away – forcefully – and walked right out.

"You talk to me again and I'm punching you the fuck out."

She was trying to sound tough, but Maxine could hear the waver in her voice.

Chloe was broken.

And it was all Maxine's fault.

Fuck.

 

Chloe slammed the door shut.

Maxine sighed wearily, and slumped.

She felt an actual ache in her chest like _what_ –

Maxine shook her head violently and turned around.

She numbly walked over to Victoria.

“Did you have to do that with Chloe?”

Her voice barely had any energy in it, anymore.

Victoria had already put on the collar, and just shrugged.

“Since when do I not do that?”

Maxine groaned and raised a hand to rub at her temples.

“Chloe’s … not like other women.”

Victoria scoffed.

“Under-fucking-statement of the year. Bitch wrecked my phone.”

Victoria looked off behind her, to Maxine’s couch, with a heavy frown.

She then realized Maxine’s behavior was unusual, and looked back to her.

She kept her frown.

“Wait. You don’t care that it upset her, do you?”

Maxine considered being honest.

“I … no, of course not, not in a million years –“

But she was fucking tearing up by now and it was –

Victoria sighed wearily and walked right in front of Maxine.

She gently rubbed at her sides and kissed her directly on the lips, forcefully.

Maxine frowned, though, and broke away from the kiss with her own groan.

“It’s just … not fair. Chloe’s never deserved …”

Victoria joined their foreheads together, and Maxine slumped towards her.

“You care about her.”

Maxine exhaled uneasily.

She looked away.

Her eyes did, anyway.

She wasn’t about to disturb the position.

She sniffled, then slowly nodded.

“Y-yeah… I guess.”

Victoria exhaled pointedly at Maxine’s face.

“Zine. You know you can … tell me this stuff.”

Maxine just shook her head and groaned.

She breathed in deeply, and finally vocalized the tension that had been building inside of her for so long.

“I don’t _want_ to – this was just – I was just going to – _fuck._ This was just supposed to be sex. I didn’t want … _feelings._ ”

Fuck.

Victoria exhaled, amused at Maxine’s accidental word choice.

“But you can’t help who you love, can you?”

Maxine pulled away from Victoria and crossed her arms with a weary sigh.

“No. I guess not.”

She knew why she didn’t object to Victoria using the word ‘love’, now.

Victoria just sighed herself, and tilted her head off to the side to rub at her jawline.

“What a gay mess …”

Maxine scoffed, slightly amused somehow.

She then realized that Chloe’s jacket was still in the room.

Maxine numbly made her way over to it, and thoughtlessly searched its pockets.

“Hey, like … you’re not mad at me for pissing her off and probably ruining your relationship with her, are you?”

Victoria actually sounded genuinely soft and concerned, and that did make Maxine ever-so-slightly smile.

“No. I mean, _yes_ , and you’re fucking dead later, but … this is my fault.”

Victoria sighed pleasantly.

Maxine didn’t find too much in the jacket, but she did find a folded-up piece of paper.

A letter, really.

She unfolded it and frowned, mostly out of concentration.

She started to read, but then gasped and raised a hand to cover her mouth.

Victoria made an inquisitive sound and pulled up behind her, to snoop as well.

 

Fuck.

 

_Max,_

_I know I’ll never be able to tell you enough how much I miss and love you. This is my last letter and I just want to get everything out in the open, because I know I’ll never have the confidence to tell you in person. I ---_

Maxine couldn’t even finish reading the fucking letter.

Her world was too fucking blurry.

 

Fuck.

 

Maxine was the biggest asshole in the world.

Chloe never deserved any of this.

Certainly not her former best friend using her for sex.

Not even Victoria’s hand rubbing consolingly on her shoulder was enough to calm her down.

 

Fuck.

If only Chloe knew.

 

Fuck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxine and Chloe talk.
> 
> Things aren't perfect.
> 
> Maybe they don't have to be.

“Hi, Chloe.”

“Die in a fire, Max.”

Maxine sighed.

Chloe numbly walked past her, not even looking at her.

Her words weren’t even angry or annoyed.

This was so routine by now that she couldn’t even muster that kind of emotion over it.

Chloe was out of earshot, soon enough.

Victoria sighed next to Maxine.

“She still hates you, I take it.”

Maxine smiled softly, somehow, and looked to Victoria.

“How can you tell?”

Victoria rolled her eyes.

Maxine just shook her head with another sigh.

“Yeah. I mean. ‘Die in a fire’ is pretty tame, for her. Yesterday was ‘walk backwards through a field of cactus-dicks’.”

Victoria closed her eyes and exhaled, amused.

“You ever get a chance to talk to her?”

Maxine just looked off to where Chloe had been.

“Nothing really to talk about. I fucked up. Chloe’s right to hate me.”

Victoria frowned.

 

Victoria learned some things from Maxine.

Like where to find Rachel.

It was maybe a week or two past when Chloe stopped talking to Maxine.

Rachel closed her locker, and frowned when she saw Victoria on the other side of it.

They locked eyes, and shared their frowns.

It was pretty tense.

Then Victoria just groaned and rubbed at her forehead.

“I want to talk to you about Chloe and Maxine.”

Rachel just shrugged.

“Actions speak louder than words. I don’t have anything to say to you.”

She inelegantly brushed past Victoria, and Victoria turned on her heel.

Her frown became more intense.

“ _Rachel_. This is killing Maxine slowly.”

Rachel paused, and then just looked back with a soft smile.

“Good. Maybe she deserves a taste of what she did to Chloe. Some empathy will be good for the girl, yeah?”

Fucking.

Ugh.

Rachel.

Victoria rubbed at her jawline as Rachel just walked away.

 

It was three weeks later – not that Chloe was counting or anything – when she noticed Max wearing her missing jacket.

Chloe knew perfectly well what she had in that jacket and what she was intending to do with it.

Before Max fucking stabbed her in the back, anyway.

Still.

It was … weird to see Max look so happy when she saw Chloe, then so distressed whenever Chloe coldly rejected her.

Why did she act like she fucking cared if Chloe hated her.

 

It was four weeks later when Chloe was watching the sunset from the steps of the dorms.

She was waiting for Rachel for some reason she wouldn’t recall later on.

She was a little drunk, a little high, a little happy for what was going to happen tonight.

She took another sip of her beer.

She saw Max walking towards her, though.

This was the girl’s dorm, and Max lived here.

She had every reason to walk this way.

Chloe didn’t give it any mind.

It was easier to do that, generally, with Max.

When Max was a bit closer, Chloe observed her out of the corner of her eye.

She did notice Max slumping a bit more in public.

She smiled a bit less.

She was a bit less giggly.

It was whatever.

Max deserved a little bit of pain for what she did.

Still.

When Max walked up the steps, some stupid impulsive side of Chloe acted faster than the rest of her did.

“Max. Sit.”

Chloe eventually realized that some part of her wanted closure.

Max hesitated, but obeyed.

Chloe had been sitting too, and Max smartly sat down a ways away from her.

Quiet.

It was pretty awkward.

Chloe hated that Max managed to ruin that between them.

Silence with Max was never supposed to be awkward.

Fuck.

“What’s with the jacket.”

Max just sighed.

“I’ve always liked how you dressed, Chloe.”

Chloe slumped a little onto one of her sides, and rested her jaw on the hand that wasn’t holding her beer.

She rocked her knees side to side.

“That’s it?”

Max shook her head, slowly.

“No, it’s … sentimental.”

Chloe frowned.

There Max went again, pretending like she fucking cared.

Chloe decided not to press her on it, since she knew Max would just lie about it, anyway.

“And the bet? Why’d you take it?”

Max exhaled uneasily.

“Do you want the truth?”

Chloe just shrugged.

“Doubt you can say anything that would make me hate you even more than I already do, Max.”

Max breathed in softly, closed her eyes, and nodded.

“I did it to have sex with you, then.”

Chloe grunted.

That was at least somewhat better than what she was thinking – that Max intentionally wanted to hurt her.

“Just the sex?”

Max sighed.

“At first, yeah. Let me remind you that you blew smoke in my face and were a huge asshole to me.”

Chloe frowned, but.

She couldn’t really argue that she blew smoke in Max’s face.

“And like … imagine I hadn’t taken the bet and you did that? Why would I even want to reconnect with you after that?”

Chloe frowned more deeply.

“What are you saying, Max?”

Max crossed her arms and scooted a few inches closer.

Chloe took another sip of her beer, emptied it, and tossed it far away into some grass somewhere.

“That you weren’t exactly giving me a lot of reasons to even want to talk to you.”

Ow.

Chloe closed her eyes and exhaled harshly.

“Thanks for that.”

Max groaned.

“ _Chloe._ I used past tense for a reason. You were an asshole, but …”

Chloe kept frowning.

“Then you saw the letters and knew I actually gave a shit about you.”

It was Max’s turn to frown.

“You know I saw them?”

Chloe scoffed.

“You and Rachel, Max, I swear to god. I know when people touch my stuff.”

Max went quiet.

“So you saw my reaction to them, then.”

Chloe sighed.

“Yeah.”

Max frowned again.

“And you think, what? That I faked everything and lied to you to have sex with you?”

Chloe shrugged.

“Would it be the first time you’ve done that?”

Max grunted.

“Would it be the first time you’ve been a difficult moody asshole?”

Chloe grunted.

“Just layin’ on the charm tonight, aren’t you.”

Max inhaled deeply, and slowly let the breath out.

They both looked away, to the sunset.

 

Quiet.

 

“Does it really bother you I wanted to have sex with you?”

Chloe leaned to the other side of her body and switched hands.

“No. The sex was good, Max… I just wish …”

“What?”

Chloe frowned.

“I just wish someone cared about me for once, Max. I wish someone would just love me, and not run away when things got difficult.”

Max went quiet again.

“You know, you didn’t try and call me, either.”

Chloe grunted.

“And I- I … I didn’t even know how I felt about you. I was an oblivious little mopheaded-shitbrain when I was a kid. You were writing fucking letters detailing every little thing you liked about me.”

Chloe grunted again.

Max still kept going.

“Like, how fair is that to me? To not even know how much you liked me? Chloe, if you had sent this fucking letter you had in your jacket I would have _walked_ from Seattle to here if I had to.”

Chloe grunted yet again, and snapped to looking at Max.

“I was afraid! Okay?”

Max flinched.

“I was afraid. That you didn’t care. That you had given up on me.”

Chloe looked down, then away.

“People care until they just don’t. Everyone loves me until they don’t. Everyone is nice until they aren’t.”

Max sighed, wearily.

“Chloe. You’re the one who pushed me away just now. I didn’t leave you again.”

Chloe snapped to looking at Max again,

“Because you used me for sex, Max! Jesus Christ.”

Chloe hated the waver in her voice.

It was so much easier to exist without having this fucking emotional attachment to people.

Max looked down, and went quiet.

Some of the anger slowly bled out of Chloe.

“Maybe I had sex earlier with you than I would have if I didn’t take the bet, but …”

Max sighed.

“Tell me you’re not attracted to me. Because I know I’m attracted to you. Tell me you don’t love me. Because I know I love you.”

Chloe fucking blushed, somehow, but looked away.

Goddamn it.

She really didn’t want to think of Max _loving_ her after all of this.

She sat up straight, crossed her arms, and kicked one of her boots lazily forward.

“Max …”

Chloe didn’t really know what to say, anymore.

She didn’t want to believe that Max still cared about her, but even her stupid fucking side that ruined everything couldn’t find some thread of logic to explain why Max was still talking to her, if that wasn’t the case.

 

They both looked to the sunset, again.

Quiet.

 

“My relationship with Victoria isn’t perfect.”

Chloe frowned.

“And I care?”

Max sighed.

“Chloe.”

Chloe grunted.

“Max.”

Max just shook her head.

“I have a point in all of this.”

Chloe sighed.

“Fine.”

Max hesitated, but then continued.

“Sometimes she gets upset at me. Sometimes I get upset at her. Sometimes she says something fucking stupid. Sometimes I do something fucking stupid. Sometimes …”

Max frowned.

“Sometimes we just need like, a day to cool off from one another.”

Chloe slowly looked sidelong to Max.

“Where are you going with this, Max?”

Max sighed.

“That we’re not perfect. No one is. I made mistakes. You made mistakes. We all make mistakes. I don’t want the mistakes that we made to keep us from having some kind of relationship, though.”

Chloe sighed.

“Max, I can’t …”

Max grunted.

“And it doesn’t have to be some big like, hugely romantic thing, or anything. Like I don’t know if Victoria is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with but – I don’t want to lose any moments I’d have with her now.”

Max stood up.

“And I don’t know if you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, either, but I know I don’t want to lose any moments with you, now.”

Chloe frowned, but watched her stand up all the same.

“Max …”

Max frowned herself for a few seconds, but then uncrossed her arms and reached a hand out to help Chloe up.

“So. My point is that our relationship doesn’t have to be perfect. You can still be upset at me for whatever I’ve done and I can still be upset at you, but … we can work on that. Together.”

Chloe looked down to her hand.

“You’ve had to say this conversation a lot, haven’t you?”

Max giggled, somehow, after all of that.

It felt nice to make Max laugh.

“Victoria is a _very_ difficult girlfriend.”

Chloe just shook her head, took the hand, and allowed Max to help her up.

“Okay, whatever, Max. I still kind of hate you, but … I still love you too, and I don’t … This is so weird.”

Max held Chloe’s hand for a few seconds more before walking to her side, and looking off to the sunset.

Chloe looked with her, and slowly raised a hand to rub at Max’s opposite shoulder.

“Please don’t take off the jacket, by the way, Max …”

Max’s breathing hitched.

“It’s really hot.”

Max just giggled and rested her head on Chloe’s shoulder.

Maybe things didn’t have to be perfect.

Maybe things just being better than yesterday was enough.

It was a weird kind of thought.

But relaxing, after a while.

 

They both heard a camera snapping, after a little while.

Chloe blinked.

Max blinked.

Rachel materialized on Chloe’s side far from Max and hummed softly.

“That’s a cute scene.”

Chloe frowned.

“How long have you been there?”

Rachel just shrugged.

“Long enough.”

Now that Chloe thought about it, it was kind of odd that Rachel asked her to wait outside.

She knew where Rachel’s room was, after all.

Rachel brandished her camera to Max.

“Maxxie~ Got anything to keep this picture from going around?”

Chloe blinked again.

Max just groaned, and patted herself down.

“Yeah, probably, I just …”

Chloe looked to Max.

“I don’t mind it getting around.”

Max blinked a few times.

She then smiled gently, got up on her tippy toes to kiss at Chloe’s cheek ---

 _Click_ \---

And got back down.

They both looked off into the sunset.

“Okay. Blab away, Rachel.”

Rachel hummed thoughtfully and walked away.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

Max giggled.

Chloe just rolled her eyes.

 

It was six weeks later when Chloe was knocking on Maxine’s door.

She opened it, and smiled.

Chloe smiled too.

Wordlessly they both walked into her room, and the door closed behind them.

Victoria was sitting, perched on Maxine’s couch, impatiently tapping her foot and looking off into the distance.

She had a hand covering her mouth and sure seemed to be interested in the pattern on Maxine’s wall.

Maxine took her seat on her desk’s chair, and turned it around to face the center of the room.

Chloe took her seat on Maxine’s bed.

All three of them had their arms crossed.

Maxine slowly looked to Victoria.

“Vee …?”

Victoria sighed harshly and looked to Chloe.

She removed the hand from her mouth.

“Chloe. I’m …”

Chloe grinned toothily.

Victoria looked all around the room, groaned, and shook her head.

“I’m sorry for rubbing the bet in your face.”

Maxine slowly looked to Chloe.

She was kind of cute when she had that expectant look on her face.

Chloe met Maxine’s gaze for a few moments, then looked back to Victoria.

“And I guess I’m sorry for wrecking your phone. But you totally deserved it.”

Maxine giggled.

Victoria rolled her eyes, and pulled her phone out.

“It still works. Just the screen is cracked.”

Chloe huffed.

“Guess I need to throw harder next time.”

It was Maxine’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Okay, that’s enough, you two. How about a hug?”

Victoria huffed.

“How about no?”

Chloe didn’t like the idea of hugging Victoria, but she suddenly wanted to do it if she knew it was going to annoy Victoria.

What an odd conundrum.

Maxine stood up.

“If anyone wants to kiss me anymore I better see some hugging.”

Victoria groaned.

“ _Zine._ Don’t make me …”

Maxine recrossed her arms and looked expectantly at Victoria.

Victoria crossed one of her arms and rested her head on the other hand.

“Fine. Five second rule. It doesn’t count if we only hug for five seconds.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, but stood up all of the same.

Victoria eventually did, as well.

It was so agonizing for Victoria, which kept Chloe smiling gently all throughout, but they eventually came together to hug.

Briefly.

“Awwwww.”

Maxine’s egging-on wasn’t helping anything.

They both turned to face Maxine, and they both crossed thier arms.

Maxine blinked.

“Um. Guys?”

Maxine was more assertive than the both of them combined, but.

Victoria was annoyed and Chloe was amused.

It was not a good combination.

They both closed the distance between them and Maxine.

Victoria took one of Maxine’s arms.

Chloe took the other.

They both hoisted her hands up high.

Maxine blushed.

“Um. Guys …”

Victoria scoffed dangerously.

“You made me touch her. Now I get to kiss you. That was our deal. Only I’m reneging, I want _more_ than a kiss, now.”

Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Making bets again, Maxine? What’d we say about that? Think you could learn a lesson.”

Maxine just blinked.

“Um … guys …”

But she was blushing, and her eyes were closed and –

Happy.

She was happy.

 

It was eight weeks later when a photo of Chloe with the play collar on emerged around campus.

No one really questioned it.

 

Chloe still hadn't fully forgiven Maxine for everything she'd done.

Maybe she wouldn't, ever. 

But something she said kept playing on repeat on her mind.

She didn't want to miss anything she could get out of Maxine  _now_.

Was that love? 

Or was love the way Maxine blushed?

Maybe it didn't matter.

She was just happy to have her girl back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Cheer up  
>  Tune it out  
> Take your mask off  
> Have a shot  
> Are you a sick kid or a trick  
> It's gonna mess you up  
> _
> 
> Whoof. This story got done fast and dirty, haha. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading. Let me know what you thought about it in the comments.


End file.
